Per aspera ad astra

Travel Advice II: The Airport

You’ve arrived at AOC with your carry-on, one personal item, and your ID/itinerary and of course you’ve allowed yourself at least 2 hours (3 internationally) from check-in to boarding time.  Now you’ve got to make it through the masses to Gate Z in Terminal 9.

Hopefully you’ve checked in online, when possible. If you haven’t, mosey on over to one of the electronic check-in machines and be ready with your flight information and a credit card issued to you. Again, ideally you’ve also decided against checking any bags, but if it’s unavoidable, proceed to the check-in counter. Be aware that 9 times out of 10, there will be a line. And it will move slowly. Don’t get pissed off at the agents at the counter for the slow line, even if they do seem relatively incompetent.

I can’t stress this enough: Do not be irate at anyone who works at the airport. They have to deal with hundreds, maybe thousands, of people a day, even on their bad days when all they want to do is crawl into bed and never think about airport codes again. Yes, a good handful of these people are slower than you’d like, if not actually incompetent. But getting upset at them isn’t going to make things easier for either of you; in fact, you’ll probably cause even more problems for yourself. If you’re truly disappointed in the service you receive, go send a customer satisfaction email to the airport, the airline, or the Better Business Bureau. It allows you to put off the stress until after your trip, and you might even get some compensation if you’re rational enough. Causing a scene will only cause the employee, as well as the people around you/in line to hate you. And it’s a terrible way to start a trip.

That being said, being friendly to airport employees would be nice. At the very least, be efficient, rational and clear in your requests. The person behind the ticket counter has no control over when your plane is getting in, how much your luggage weighs, or most things that you might deem important to blame them for. They’ll appreciate your sanity (and even if they don’t, you will).

Okay, on to security! Again, there will be a line. If you’ve allowed yourself plenty of time, there’s nothing to worry about. Things not to wear while traveling: belts, metal jewelry, a watch, etc. You can do without for a few hours. If you forgot and have a giant pair of hoops in, take them out while you’re waiting in line, not right before you go through the scanner. Take your laptop out before someone asks you to. Take off your shoes as soon as you can, without complaining about the germs on the floor, thanks. Once again, don’t yell at the security guard for racial profiling, searching your bag or patting you down. If you feel you’ve legitimately been wronged, write down their name later and send in a complaint.

Once you’ve reached your gate, things are pretty simple. Bunker down and wait to board. If you have to go anywhere and you’re alone, take your bags. Once, I saw a woman absolutely screaming at an airport official who had confiscated her bag when she went to the bathroom down the hall. If you’re against taking your bags anywhere, strike up a conversation with the stranger next to you, take a leap of faith and see if they’ll watch after your bag (most reliable: a family with children, an old woman, etc. You know, the people you’d trust on a regular basis for no reason other than the fact that they’re stereotypically not criminals). Or just suck it up and carry your bag.
To wrap up, the key to a smooth airport experience is remaining calm. It can be difficult- especially with prolonged delays and the potential to miss a connection/meeting. But getting upset won’t make your flight depart or arrive any quicker. Neither will being nice, but at least your blood pressure will stay at a normal rate.

Some people know how to travel, probably because they’ve done it hundreds of times for work, school, etc. Some people have NO idea how to make travel as efficient and painless as possible. This is trickier, because the root of the problem might be inexperience or just an inability to deal with the high-stress situations that ensue or something else entirely. Whatever the case, as a relatively traveled individual (though by no means an expert), I thought I’d offer up some helpful tips for traveling, whether international or abroad.

Travel Advice I: Packing

A good bit of advice to follow: Lay out everything you are planning to take in terms of clothing, etc. and lay out all of the money you’re planning to take. Then take half of the stuff and twice the money. I never, ever pack shampoo or conditioner with the rationale that a) it might open and ruin a bunch of my luggage b) hotels offer it complimentary c) it’s likely cheaper or the same price at my final destination d) dealing with the 3-3-1 rule is more stressful than it’s worth. I plan on wearing outfits multiple days (especially when traveling internationally, as it’s the norm most places), which cuts down on the number of clothes I need.
That being said, there are some essentials you shouldn’t forget:
-A travel alarm clock (or your cell phone- plus charger!- if it has an alarm clock option)
-Enough underwear. Yes, you can wash them at your destination, but really, they take up minimal space and it’s so much easier just to have more than you need.
-A toothbrush
-(if abroad) A good language guide to help you get around. Yes, a lot of people in a lot of locations speak English, but that’s no excuse not to try to involve yourself.

If you can avoid it, try not to check any bags. The hassle of dealing with lost luggage far outweighs the benefits of having more clothing options. My general rule? If you’re going to be gone less than a week, there’s no reason to check anything (obviously if you’re traveling for business or sport and need extra materials, there are exceptions). This eliminates a lot of waiting when you check in at the airport. And hey, while you’re at it? Check in online at home the day before you go. You’ll be able to change your seat, make sure all the information is correct well in advance and then go straight to security upon arrival at AOC (Airport Of Choice).

And finally, before you get in the car/bus/taxi to the airport/train station, make sure you have 1) your ID 2) your travel itinerary 3) an extra form of ID, if you have one 4) enough cash to make it to your final destination (and a credit card in case of emergencies). And of course, a good book. Showing up at the airport and having that ‘oh, crap’ realization that your passport is at home is the worst possible way to start your trip. You’ll be in a rush and in no mood to be cheery for the next most painful part of traveling- dealing with the airport.